The 3rd International Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth was held between 14-20 November with the participation of various groups taking actions and organising events across different countries. This year it has been the third time War Resisters' International called activists from all around the world for actions and events raising awareness of, and challenging, the ways violence and military values are normalised for young people.

Throughout the week we had street actions, workshops, vigils and other public events all which were touching upon those many ways young people's minds and bodies are recruited by militaries and other war profiteers.

In the Czech Republic soldiers have reportedly started touring elementary schools nationwide in an effort to introduce students to military life. Children from the age of 10 are being familiarized with and encouraged to play with machine guns. These terrifying images bring memories of totalitarian regimes, in which education about war and a militaristic vision of society and life were instilled into children from a young age.

All of this, moreover, is taking place right at a time when the United States has yet again witnessed a mass shooting that took place in a school and the President himself is impotent to act against the powerful arms industry. According to the Gun Violence Archive, in 2015 alone gun-related incidents in the US amounted to 33,293. 8,514 people lost their lives and 17,361 were injured. Among the dead there were 486 children under the age of 11 and 1,687 between 12 and 17. Is this the model we want to follow?

In 2012, Kate Connell—a photographer with two children in the Santa Barbara public schools—learned that her son’s freshman seminar had a Marine recruiter as a guest speaker. Her son had challenged the recruiter, saying he didn’t like the way the U.S. military was always bombing other countries. At first, Connell thought, “Oh, it’s great you spoke up for yourself and spoke up for peace.”

Her second reaction was: “Oh, my gosh! The Marines were in his freshman class!”

Connell had a long, but dormant, history as an anti-war activist. When the Gulf War started in 1991, she was living in New York City, and she volunteered with the War Resisters League (WRL). Her main job with WRL was helping active-duty military file for conscientious objector status. Later, she relocated to Austin, Texas, where whe worked with Sustainable Options for Youth, visiting local high schools to stimulate discussions with students about “military myths.”

Last week, the University of Southampton joined the growing list of Universities who have decided to take a stance against investments in the arms trade. In this article Sebastian, Odell of Southampton University explains what’s happened and how students forced the university into taking action.

Last week two of the world’s largest arms companies gave a talk at the University of Liverpool.

About 50% of Thales’s business is in arms, including mortar systems, rocket systems for helicopters, precision-guided munitions, military vehicles, missiles, and small arms and ammunition. They sells arms to many oppressive regimes, including Bahrain, China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and UAE, and collaborate with Israeli arms company Elbit to develop drones.

Rolls-Royce manufacture 25% of all military jet engines globally, that are used by 160 different armed forces, in 103 different countries. They also manufacture nuclear reactors for Trident submarines. Their arms customers include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey

BAE Systems, a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company, tried to hold a recruitment event at the University of Warwick at the end of November, but students were not happy that their university was playing host to such an unethical company. After less than half an hour of protest, with a banner and chanting, the recruiters from BAE Systems packed up and the event was called off.

Students, including from Warwick for Free Education and Fossil Free Warwick, announced that they would disrupt the event. They spoke about the immoral and corrupt business dealings of the company. The protesters believe that arms companies should not have a relationship with the University of Warwick and should not be allowed to buy the right to recruit on their campus.

BAE representatives pack up their equipment after it is made clear that no students are going to listen to their presentation.

The 2nd International Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth was held between 14-20 November with many activists taking actions and organising events across the world. The week followed the first ever week of action took place last year and a day of action held in 2013.

Throughout the week this year, antimilitarists from different countries organised street actions and protests; held meetings, talks and workshops; and run social media campaigns all of which challenging the many ways militaries engage with young people via the use of public spaces.

The coming week is the 2nd International Week of Action Against the Militarisation of Youth where youth groups and activists from different countries will be taking actions against the many ways militaries engage with the young and militarise our public spaces.

Join us this November and stand against the militarisation of youth with many others all around the world. Your voice, your nonviolent actions and events will contribute to our growing international movement!

"The Armed Forces Day 'family fun' extravaganza in Colwyn Bay's Parc Eirias went ahead on Saturday in intermittent drizzle and behind a prominent banner near the main gate stating what you'd have thought would be bleedin' obvious, but apparently to many punters wasn't: 'WAR IS NOT FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT'. "

It was Armed Forces Day in Wales last Saturday and a group of peace activists had some brilliant ideas to turn it into a day of peace and resistance! Here is their report from their direct action last weekend, which also includes their call out for actions as such in other cities of the UK on the official Armed Forces Day this Saturday:

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Sowing Seeds

Through articles, images, survey data and interviews, Sowing Seeds: The Militarisation of Youth and How to Counter It documents the seeds of war that are planted in the minds of young people in many different countries. However, it also explores the seeds of resistance to this militarisation that are being sown resiliently and creatively by numerous people. READ MORE